The Matchmaking Mishap
by Feriku
Summary: Juniper just can't bring herself to confess her feelings to Apollo, so it's up to Athena to get the two of them together! But when Trucy sets up a special date for Athena at the same time, a misunderstanding results in a terrible-or wonderful-matchmaking mistake. (Includes Juniper/Simon, Gumshoe/Maggey, and possible hints of Athena/Apollo.)
1. The Biggest Show of the Year

**The Matchmaking Mishap**

Chapter 1: The Biggest Show of the Year

"What's wrong, Junie?"

"W-wrong?" Juniper Woods coughed. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine!"

Athena Cykes put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. Even if the discord in her heart wasn't so clear, they'd been friends long enough for Junie's mannerisms to signify that she was upset or troubled. Besides, a friend didn't drop by your apartment and just sit there looking disconsolate if nothing was wrong.

"I guess I just feel lonely."

"Lonely?" Athena put a hand on her arm. "I'm here for you. And what about Robin and Hugh—and Myriam?" she added, when she remembered the odd reporter's desire to become friends with the trio.

"Oh! I know, I didn't mean I don't have friends. I just…" She glanced down. "I guess I feel like I should be making new friends... and I'm not good at that."

Except Myriam _was_ a new friend. Junie was still lying about something. "You should drop by the Wright Anything Agency sometime," Athena said. "Maybe you could get to know Apollo better."

"W-what?" Junie blushed and jumped to her feet. "I just remembered something I have to do. Goodbye, Athena, thank you for talking to me."

"Wait!"

But Junie fled the apartment before she could say another word.

Athena sat down on the couch and frowned. Well, the problem was clear enough. The only question was the solution. Junie's crush on the defense attorney was painfully obvious—to everyone except Apollo. And Junie, quiet as she was, seemed to take his obliviousness as rejection.

She would never confess her feelings to him on her own, that much was clear. And it would be wrong for Athena to tell Apollo without Junie's permission.

There had to be a way to get them together.

#

"Aw, come on, sir, I haven't had a day off in months!"

Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth's glare could burn holes through stone, and it only intensified as time passed. "Detective, I'm giving you a day off. Tomorrow. Why are you complaining?!"

Dick Gumshoe slumped. "I gotta have the day _after_ tomorrow off. I'll work extra tomorrow, if you want."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand, sir."

With a dismissive shake of his head, Edgeworth turned his attention back to the paperwork piled on his desk. "If you can't even put in an effort to make me understand, I feel no obligation to listen to you any longer."

That was it? After twenty minutes worth of arguing, he'd failed? He slumped even further. Man, this was the worst day of his life. On the other hand, at least it couldn't get any worse. He brightened. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad trying to tell Edgeworth what was up.

"Okay, sir, here's the thing. The day after tomorrow is my anniversary."

Edgeworth gave him a sharp look. "Anniversary of what?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Of, well, of the day I first met Maggey Byrde."

"Does she know about this?"

"Yeah, of course! I mean, she must, right?" He slumped again. With his luck, Maggey would have a date with someone else. "Well, I'll tell her as soon as I get the day off."

"Why can't you celebrate your anniversary tomorrow?" The prosecutor folded his arms. "I think it's highly unlikely Ms. Byrde remembers the exact day you two met."

"But sir, it's the principle of the thing! Besides, that play is coming to town on our anniversary! It's just perfect."

"Play?"

Gumshoe fished through the pockets of his trench coat through an assortment of junk until he found the newspaper article. He held it out. "Take that!"

Edgeworth narrowed his eyes. "Don't do that."

"Sorry, sir."

He took the article anyway and scanned the page.

When the silence stretched on a little too long, Gumshoe said, "_The Only Girl for Me_. It's a romantic comedy. It's supposed to be really good, sir. Everybody's talking about it."

"I see." Edgeworth handed back the article and looked at him for a moment. "I suppose you already bought tickets."

"Well, uh…"

"You did, didn't you? I've also heard about _The Only Girl for Me. _With a show as highly anticipated as this one, if you plan to see its premiere performance in the city, you should have gotten your tickets well ahead of time. I imagine they're selling out quickly."

Oh no. He'd have to run to the theater as soon as his shift was over. Still, he caught himself. If he told Edgeworth the embarrassing truth, he'd never get the correct day off. On the other hand, if Edgeworth thought he already had the tickets, it might just sway him.

"Yeah, of course I bought the tickets." He laughed. "They aren't the best seats in the house, but considering how long I spent in line, it'll be a real shame if we can't go!"

Edgeworth stared at him.

Sweat ran down the back of Gumshoe's neck. Telling a fib in the Prosecutor's Building was like waving your hand in front of a poisonous snake. They all could tell. Had to be something they taught them in prosecutor school.

"Very well. You can have the day after tomorrow off."

"Thank you sir, thank you so much, it'll never happen again, thank you—"

Edgeworth broke free of his attempts to shake his hand repeatedly and lifted a warning finger. "I expect a good day's work from you today and tomorrow. Don't make me regret my decision."

"You won't regret it at all, sir!"

Gumshoe saluted, spun around, and dashed out of the Chief Prosecutor's office before he could change his mind. Everything was perfect. He just had to work hard and tell Maggey the good news. Well, and get the tickets, but that would be easy. Nothing could dampen his mood, not even the glare from Prosecutor Blackquill, who didn't appear to have enjoyed his twenty-minute wait outside the office. Spoilsport. All he had were some case files to turn over, nothing as critical as this. Some people just didn't have their priorities in order.

Him and Maggey, watching _The Only Girl for Me_ on their anniversary. It would be amazing.

#

Athena raced into the Wright Anything Agency. "Sorry I'm late, Boss!"

"It's all right," Phoenix said. "Anything wrong?"

"Oh, no," she said. She hung up her coat and held up her prize with a grin of triumph. "I just bought a ticket to _The Only Girl for Me_."

Two tickets, actually.

Phoenix frowned. "What's that?"

Her jaw dropped. Sometimes her boss was so out of touch with the world. "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious!"

"It's the biggest show of the year," Apollo cut in. "It's coming here the day after tomorrow, and everyone's going nuts for it."

Athena turned her shocked stare to him. Of the two, she'd expected him to not know what it was. "You've heard of it?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "After everything that happened, I've been trying to get my mind off of things, and I ended up reading about a bunch of theater stuff. I don't think I'm going to become a big fan or anything, but this one sounds so good, I almost wish I could see it." He laughed. "Not that I want to wait in line for tickets, though."

This would work out even better than she expected. She flashed him a peace sign. "You're in luck Apollo." She held out a ticket. "This is for you."

He drew back in shock. "For me?" He reached for the ticket, then hesitated and gave her a suspicious look. "Wait, I know that look in your eye. There's a catch. You aren't just giving me a ticket so I can have a good time. What's the trick?"

"It's not a trick," she said. "But if you want the ticket, you have to agree to the terms."

"I knew it." He folded his arms. "What are the 'terms'?"

"The play starts at five. Get to the theater a little early—say around four or so—and wait." She grinned. "Someone else will show up to meet you, and you can watch the show together."

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious? You've set me up on a blind date?"

"You could put it that way."

He groaned.

"It'll be fun, Apollo! And even if you don't like your date—and I'm sure you will, by the way—the play is supposed to be fantastic!" She frowned. "Don't be such a grouch!"

"…Fine." He snatched the ticket from her. "I'll go. Like I said, I've been trying to get my mind off of things, anyway."

Poor Apollo. The death of Clay and everything that followed really hurt him. A fun evening with Junie would be just the thing to boost both their spirits.

#

Trouble was in the air.

Phoenix could sense something was up, and it was more than just Athena trying to play matchmaker with Apollo, which had enough potential to blow up on its own. Something else was going on, and he had a pretty good idea of who was its source.

"All right, Trucy," he said, when his daughter burst back into the Agency. "What's going on?"

"Going on?"

He gave her a flat look. She'd run out of the building earlier with a glint in her eye that said she was about to wreak mayhem. And despite her attempt at innocence, her smug expression confirmed his suspicions. Whatever she was up to, it couldn't be good. "Trucy..."

She looked from side to side and beckoned him closer. "Are we alone?"

"Athena is taking care of some paperwork, and Apollo looked so distressed, I sent him out for a walk."

"Good! Guess what I just bought?"

Oh no. It couldn't be. "What?"

"The last two tickets to _The Only Girl for Me._"

It was. He groaned. "Trucy, you aren't going to go to the show and embarrass Apollo, are you?"

Her eyes widened, and she put her hand over her mouth. "What? Of course not!"

Strange, the Magatama didn't react. She wasn't lying. But she was definitely up to something. "Then why did you buy the tickets?"

She beamed. "Did you see how excited Athena was when she was talking about it? I bet she really wants to see it, except she thinks it's more important that Polly go and enjoy himself. Isn't that sweet, Daddy?"

"Very. Why did you buy the tickets?"

"So Athena can go see the show, of course!"

Of course. He sighed. "So you and Athena are going to go see _The Only Girl for Me_ on the same day as Apollo, and you don't think this will be awkward for him at all?"

She grinned. "What are you talking about, Daddy? I'm not going. Besides, I saw the seat number on Polly's ticket. These seats are way on the other side of the theater. He'll never even see them."

Somehow, her reassurances made him feel progressively worse about the situation. "'Them'? Who is getting the second ticket? It's not me, is it?"

She giggled. "No, Daddy. It's a secret!"

"Trucy, what are you—"

"If Athena can do it, so can I! I'm setting her up on a blind date!" She giggled even harder. "Well, it's not quite blind if they know each other, is it? Oh, this is so much fun."

Phoenix sat down and rubbed his forehead.

The door opened. "All right, Boss, I got that paperwork you—" Athena stopped. "Is something wrong?"

Before he could answer, Trucy did. "Nope! I got you a ticket to see _The Only Girl for Me._"

"W-what?"

Trucy tipped her hat and smirked. "It's the last ticket they had, so you better have a good time. Now, you told Polly to meet his date at 4:00, right? Well, you should go to the theater at 4:30 to meet yours."

"My what?"

"Your date," Trucy said. "Don't worry. Polly should already be in the theater by then, so it won't be like you're spying on him."

Athena wrapped her arm around herself and glanced to the side. "I don't know… After everything that's happened, I'm not so sure I want to go on a date."

"Do I have to go through this with you, too?" Trucy stamped her foot. "It would be so rude to leave your date waiting all alone. You have to go! Besides, you'll be so happy when you see who it is." She smiled. "I'm certain of it."

Phoenix's bad feeling about the situation got even worse. He loved his daughter, but she sometimes saw romance where there was none—which explained why she got on so well with Pearls. Thank goodness _she_ wasn't visiting, or he'd probably be on his way to a "blind date" with Maya.

Trucy glared at both of them. "Come on, lighten up. It'll be fun! Isn't that what you just said to Apollo?"

"You're right. Well, I'll give it a try." Athena took a deep breath. "I guess if I'm making Apollo go through this, I shouldn't complain. Thanks, Trucy."

"No problem. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

_Author's note: What could go wrong, indeed? Hehehehe.  
Romance isn't one of my big genres to write in, but when this story idea formed in my head, I had to start writing it. In fact, I wrote the first 9,000 words in a single day. I just couldn't stop. I'm now a fan of a pairing that quite possibly has a following of one.  
Special thanks again go to Stein999 (deviantart) for this wonderful cover image! ^_^ Now, stay tuned, everyone, to watch everything about this matchmaking plan go horribly wrong.  
_


	2. Waiting

Chapter 2: Waiting

When Juniper reached the theater, her stomach was churning so much, she thought she would have to cancel the date because she was sick. The last thing she needed was to throw up in the middle of _The Only Girl for Me._

She tugged down one of the sunflowers on her wide-brimmed hat and breathed in its scent. Home. Nature. Safety. Her heart rate calmed and her stomach settled.

A few people stood around the entrance to the theater, but they were all in pairs or groups. None of them looked like they could be her date, but she'd left early, so it wasn't quite 4:00 yet. The clock on the corner of the street said it was 3:45. Plenty of time. She adjusted her hat and sat down at a small table a few feet away from the doors.

It was supposed to be a very good play. From what she'd heard, every seat was taken. She swallowed hard. The thought of being crammed in there, on a date of all things, made her feel suffocated, and she almost wished she'd said no when Athena gave her the ticket.

Almost.

She took a deep breath and crossed her fingers. A date set up for her by Thena. It had to be with Apollo. He would come, and smile, and they'd see the play together, and everything would be all right because he was right there.

Juniper got out the pink scarf she'd brought with her and knitted a few more rows to pass the time. As she did so, she listened in on the conversations held by the people outside the theater. They all were praising the actors in the show and talking about the things they heard. It was enough to make her relax and enjoy herself.

At least, until a murmur swept through them, and their animated chatter about the show changed to scattered whispers about murderers, the dark age of the law, and whether defendants acquitted by Mr. Wright should really be trusted in light of his forged evidence scandal.

She froze. It wasn't the first time, but no matter how often she ran into someone who identified her as a murderer or the courtroom bomber, it never got any easier. If she confronted them, she just wound up in a coughing fit from the stress. If she ignored them, it felt like an admission of guilt.

It just wasn't fair. Of course some people believed she was guilty no matter what the trial said, and of course some people couldn't accept that Kristoph Gavin was behind Mr. Wright's disbarment, but she didn't want to sit in a theater with people who felt that way about her.

Juniper steeled herself and looked up, ready to defend herself as if she was in court again, but no one was looking at her. The whispers and furtive glances were directed at a tall man dressed in black who stood just a few feet away. As for him, Prosecutor Blackquill ignored them but glared at the theater itself as if it was a personal enemy. He shook his head and leaned against the wall.

She gulped and lowered her gaze. Time to pretend she didn't know him and hope he didn't see her. Even if he wasn't a murderer, he was terrifying. Nothing could change that. Her faint memories of the man who used to visit the Space Center had nothing in common with the cold, nasty Blackquill who prosecuted her case. The Simon Blackquill of seven years ago was gone forever.

Still, he was willing to go to his death to protect Thena. There was more to him than met the eye. Guilt prickled her. Despite his air of nonchalance, maybe he was as hurt by still being considered a murderer as she was.

She looked up and gave him a polite smile.

He frowned for a moment and then walked over to her table.

Oh no. She gripped her braids. No, no, no, of all the things she expected to happen, that was not one of them. Surely he didn't want to chat. He was supposed to be cold and antisocial.

"Hello, Woods-dono."

"Hello, Prosecutor Blackquill." So, at some point he'd added the _dono_ to her name. She stared at him and racked her brain for something to say. Preferably something that didn't betray her nervousness. She waved her hand at the annoying crowd. "Don't mind them, they don't know anything about you."

He smirked. "Ah, does this mean you don't bear me any ill will for prosecuting you?"

"What?" She put her hand over her mouth. "No, of course not!" Terror, yes. Ill will, no. "Unless you still think I'm a murderer, that is," she said, with a laugh that came out as more of a cough. She grabbed one of her sunflowers.

"I do not." Horrifyingly, he sat down across from her, although he drummed his fingers on the table and shot the theater another irritated look.

Juniper let out a nervous chuckle and looked around. No one new was in sight. It was almost 4. Whoever her mystery date was, even if he wasn't Apollo, she already liked him for rescuing her from such an uncomfortable position.

She fiddled with the edges of her shawl. Blackquill wasn't exactly the sort of person one could make small talk with. And it wasn't just that he was quiet—he somehow _loomed_ even when he wasn't doing anything. No wonder the rumors about his guilt wouldn't die down. He always gave the impression that he could and probably would murder someone.

Blackquill gave the theater a death glare.

It _had_ to be 4:00. And when that jerk showed up, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. How dare he be late at a time like this?

She took a few slow, deep breaths. All right, for Thena's sake, she would try to be civil to Blackquill. He wasn't a bad man, no matter how he came across.

"Are you here to see _The Only Girl for Me_?" she asked, after another look around to make sure any lost-looking gentlemen—especially Apollo—weren't in the area.

"Yes."

"I've heard it's supposed to be very good."

Blackquill snorted and looked off to the side. "Hmph. I suppose. If you like that sort of thing."

She frowned. "You don't? Then, if you don't mind me asking, why are you going to see it?"

He smirked. "Although I feel like an utter fool for saying this, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here for some sort of blind date."

Juniper clapped her hands over her mouth and gaped at him for a second before a coughing fit overcame her. Blackquill? _Blackquill?_

_Oh, Thena, what did I ever do to you to deserve this?_

She coughed and coughed, and every time she tried to stop, she caught a glimpse of the shadowy prosecutor across from her and coughed harder. People in the area were turning to look at her. She couldn't breathe. As a wheeze escaped her, she fumbled for one of her sunflowers, but another coughing spell disrupted her.

"Woods-dono!" Blackquill jumped out of his chair and hauled her to her feet. "You should see a doctor at once."

His genuine concern calmed her down enough that she was able to breathe into a sunflower. "I-I'm all right." Her guilt ratcheted up a few more levels. The terrifying image of Prosecutor Blackquill she held in her mind would have made a sarcastic comment about her coughing, not tried to help her.

He didn't loosen his grip on her arm, and she steadied herself against him without even thinking. All right. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

"You just shocked me," she said. "You see, I—" A cough built in the back of her throat, but she swallowed hard and managed to compose herself. "I'm here…because I'm supposed to be on a blind date."

Blackquill released her. Wide-eyed, he looked as stunned as he ever had in the courtroom. For a long time, he didn't say anything, and then he finally smirked. "Hmph. Well, it's hardly a blind date if we already know each other."

She forced a smile. "Maybe she thought we wouldn't come if we knew."

He narrowed his eyes. "Yes, who would willingly go on a date with the Twisted Samurai?"

Juniper clapped a hand over her mouth. "No, no, no, I didn't mean it like that!"

His laugh could only be described as "evil."

She swallowed hard. If only she could go back in time and start the whole conversation over. The whole day, in fact. No, she would go back even further and refuse to take the ticket in the first place. _Why did you think this was a good idea, Thena? Why?!_

"Well," Blackquill said, "we have the tickets, so we might as well go in there." He didn't sound enthused by the idea.

"Yes, I guess so."

The gossipers by the theater were still in full swing. A few people shot nervous glances in the direction of her table. From the looks on their faces, they thought the UR-1 murderer was going to add a new victim to his list. Maybe they were taking bets on whether he would kill her before or after she blew up the theater.

A hacking cough shook her. "I can't do this." She hung her head. "I can't go in there with all of them." But Thena would be so sad if the date failed before it even began. "I guess… maybe I'm feeling well enough to at least try it… We better—"

"Silence!"

"Wh-what did I say?"

Blackquill scowled. "If neither one of us wants to go in there, _why_ are we considering it?"

She brightened. That was right, he didn't even care about the play. "We could always go somewhere else, or…" _Or admit this is never going to work and quit before it gets any worse._

He studied her for so long, her skin prickled and she nearly apologized and made her escape, but then he said, "There's an open air restaurant a few blocks away. Have you ever been there?"

She shook her head.

"You might like it. The tables are surrounded by gardens and trees." He smirked. "It's the only restaurant I can take Taka to without a lot of arguments."

"That sounds…nice, Prosecutor Blackquill." She hesitated. "Since this, uh, is a date, should I call you, uh, S—" She coughed. "S-Simon?"

Amusement glinted in his eyes. "From the tone of your voice, that makes you _less_ comfortable with me, but I do not mind."

Oh good, he got a kick out of her discomfort. At least one of them would enjoy their date. She was going to punch Thena when she saw her.

_I'm not uncomfortable with you_ was the polite thing to say, but she caught herself before such a blatant lie could come out of her mouth. Instead, she said, "I feel bad, just leaving like this when we have tickets to the show. I bet a lot of people really wanted tickets and couldn't get any."

He frowned. "What time is it?"

"Huh?" She looked around for the clock she'd checked before. "It's just a little after 4. Why?"

"The gardener's shift ends at 4," he said. "We'll need to hurry!"

That made absolutely no sense whatsoever. As he started down the street, she glanced back at the crowd by the theater.

One gossiper leaned toward the rest, her voice not quite a whisper. "I bet she's going to plant the bomb while he awaits the news. That's how they do it, you know."

Idiots. Juniper gave her braids a furious tug and raced after Blackquill.

#

Apollo reached the theater at a run. A fine impression he'd make on this date, being late.

He slowed down when he reached the entrance. A lot of people were there, but they all looked occupied. Most were chattering away to each other, something about Prosecutor Blackquill, from the sounds of it.

Geez, they couldn't give the guy a break. He almost felt bad for Blackquill. He was a nut, and a terror to face in the courtroom, but the phantom had screwed up his life even worse than Apollo's.

Enough. He would not spend the day moping.

And the good news was, his date was even later than he was. A nearby clock told him it was only 4:05, so she couldn't have gotten tired of waiting unless she had no patience at all—in which case, she'd probably be a lousy date.

Apollo settled down at a table where he had a clear view of the street, and waited.

And waited.


	3. The Date

Chapter 3: The Date

Gumshoe trudged down the sidewalk. When the restaurant where Maggey worked came into view, he stopped in his tracks and slumped. It might be worth it to just go home and pretend he forgot about their anniversary.

If only he hadn't _told_ her about the tickets.

It just made so much sense at the time. Why waste all that time in line and spend money on tickets if Maggey had other plans? So he'd called her and asked, and she was so surprised and delighted and had no other plans at all, and best of all, she was ecstatic when he told her they had tickets to see _The Only Girl for Me._

Then he actually went to buy the tickets.

And they were all sold out.

He didn't tell her. He didn't have the nerve. Part of him hoped he would wake up the next day and find the tickets magically in his mailbox.

But he didn't, and it was time to go see Maggey and break the news to her. Maybe she would take it well. Maybe her excitement was just an act for his sake. They'd have a good laugh over the whole thing and go do something else.

Who was he kidding? Maggey would hate him for the rest of his life.

He forced himself to walk forward, but he stopped when the restaurant came into view. Those trees and flowers Maggey tended spelled out his doom. And there she was at the entrance, with a huge smile on her face. Waiting for him.

"Hey, pal," he said, without any spirit in his words.

She beamed even brighter. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Her happiness made it even worse. Then again, maybe it was the job that put her in such high spirits. She loved her new work as a gardener, especially since no one suspected her of murder.

Yet. With Maggey, there was always an unspoken "yet."

She saluted him, even though he was off-duty and she didn't work with him anymore. "_The Only Girl for Me_ is supposed to be the funniest comedy of the decade! I can't wait to see if that's true."

"About that…" He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I…" He braced himself. Better just get it over with. "I… I didn't get the tickets, pal." He squeezed his eyes shut.

When no outburst of sadness and anger exploded from Maggey, he opened one eye. Impossibly, she was smiling. He opened the other eye. It was a real smile, not a hallucination. In fact, it was a grin.

Maggey held something up. "Guess what these are, pal!"

His jaw dropped as he stared at the tickets in her hand.

"That's right, we're still going to see _The Only Girl for Me._"

"But…" He scratched his head. "How'd you get tickets?" He frowned. "Don't tell me you had so little faith in me you bought your own, pal." Never mind that the lack of faith was justified.

She laughed. "No, actually, it was the weirdest thing. I was getting my stuff together after my shift when this couple walked in, and the guy said…" She cleared her throat and deepened her voice. "'If that idiot actually has tickets, do whatever you want with these.' Then he just gave them to me!"

"Wow!" He laughed. "Talk about a miracle!"

"I know, right?" She lowered her voice. "What kind of weirdo would give away tickets to _The Only Girl for Me_?"

"Someone who just wants to brighten another person's day!" He beamed. There were still good people in the world after all. "Can you point him out for me, pal? I want to shake his hand and tell him how much this means to me!"

"Sure." She led him back inside the restaurant and scanned the tables. She pointed. "There he is."

"Where?"

"Right there!"

It wasn't very crowded in that area of the restaurant, most likely because Prosecutor Blackquill was there. Gumshoe craned his neck. Maybe someone was hiding behind a tree.

Nope, no one behind the tree.

"Where?"

Maggey rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, pal, he's dressed from head to foot in black. How can you _not_ see him?"

He gaped at her and then looked back at Blackquill.

Nope. Not a chance.

"Hey, pal, we're going to miss the play if we don't hurry up!" He grabbed Maggey's arm and dragged her out of the restaurant.

"Wait, what happened to shaking his hand?"

"I'll wait until tomorrow." He laughed. "That way, if I don't _have_ a hand afterwards, I can miss work instead of the show!"

#

Juniper peeked over the top of her menu to watch the couple leave. "That was a wonderful thing you did, Simon."

He smirked. "Oh no, not at all. I've just played a horrible prank on the theater."

She laughed.

"I'm being perfectly serious. We may have doomed the premiere."

It was hard to tell if he was joking or not, so she turned her attention back to the food selection. Warmth rushed through her. She wouldn't punch Thena, after all. Simon was no Apollo, but he'd taken her to a beautiful restaurant instead of a crowded theater and still found a good use for their tickets. She studied him over the top of the menu. As pale as he was, and with his ragged hair and those streaks under his wild eyes and the feather in his mouth, he took some getting used to—a _lot_ of getting used to, actually—but after a while, he stopped looking like a demon. He was actually sort of handsome.

She blushed and averted her gaze. There was no reason to start thinking things like that. One date was fine, but that was it.

There was no way she could concentrate on the menu. She set it down. "I'll just have whatever you're having."

"Suddenly shy, Woods-dono? I thought you would be more at ease here."

His expression was impossible to read, and she shifted in her seat. Not for the first time, she thought about how nice it would be to have Thena's ability. At least it could give her an idea if he was angry, or sad he made her uncomfortable, or just saying things to mess with her.

"It's very nice," she said.

He looked off to the side, and she stared down at the table. Maybe they should have gone to the show. At least there they wouldn't be expected to talk to each other.

But then the detective and the gardener wouldn't have gotten their tickets. They looked so happy together. If only she was on a date with someone she could talk to as easily as those two chatted to each other. They were probably having a wonderful time.

#

Gumshoe was having the worst time of his life.

He propped his chin in his palm and glared at his ticket stub. He got the day off, got a date with Maggey, and got tickets to _The Only Girl for Me_—and their seats were at opposite ends of the theater.

Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

Life just wasn't fair.

He jumped to his feet and stared in the direction of her seat. Great, he couldn't even see her anymore. What was he supposed to do, watch the play alone? It was no fun if he didn't get to be with Maggey.

He slumped in his seat again. Prosecutor Blackquill probably did it on purpose. Some sort of sick joke, no doubt. A guy just couldn't get a break in such a lousy world.

"Hey, excuse me, pal, gotta get through here!"

His head snapped up at the sound of Maggey's voice. She pushed her way through the rows of crowded seats until she reached his row and plopped down in the seat next to his.

"Maggey? What are you doing? I thought your seat was over there."

She clenched her fists. "So what, pal? That's just a number. Besides, if someone comes looking for this seat, I'll just tell them to take mine. What's the difference?"

He grinned. She had a point.

Life was pretty awesome.

#

At 4:30, Athena made her way to the theater, more than a little nervous. It wasn't that she didn't trust Trucy, but the young magician sometimes had an odd perspective on life, and there was no telling who she might think was a good match for her.

But she had to look on the bright side—no matter what her date was like, the play was bound to be excellent.

A few people stood outside of the theater, but they seemed to be a group. They were whispering amongst themselves, something about whether it was worth going into the theater when the unluckiest people in the world were in the audience, whatever that meant.

One person sat alone at a table, so she took a deep breath, strode toward him—and stopped. "Apollo?!"

He jumped up and stared at her with wide eyes. "Athena, what are you doing here?"

Oh, so he didn't know. That was right, he was out when Trucy gave her the ticket, and he seemed so preoccupied later, they decided not to tell him. "Well, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here for a date."

His jaw dropped. "Seriously? You set me up on a blind date with yourself? Wouldn't it have been easier to just ask me?"

"_What_?" She started to laugh. "Wait, you think that—" She shook her head. "No, I honestly don't know who Trucy paired me with."

He sat back down. "Well, I'm starting to think I'll have to watch the show alone. You did tell my date 4:00, right?"

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around herself. It wasn't like Junie to be so late. If anything, she was usually early. Maybe something happened to her.

"She isn't impatient, is she? I mean, I arrived a few minutes late…"

"No, she's very patient."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "In that case, clearly she's not coming."

Athena sat down across from him and pulled out her cell phone. "Maybe something came up." She dialed Junie's home phone number and waited.

Nothing.

She bit her lip and looked at her phone in dismay.

"Does she carry a cell phone?" Apollo asked.

"I don't think so."

He frowned. "Well, maybe she just decided she'd rather not come."

"…Maybe."

Junie had to have guessed it was Apollo she'd be meeting. She wouldn't have just changed her mind, and certainly not without saying a word. If something bad happened to her, Athena would never forgive herself.

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Apollo had his hand on his bracelet. "You're afraid something happened to her." He frowned. "Is there anything I can do?"

Do?

Of course. It was stupid to just sit and worry.

Athena jumped up. "She has to be around somewhere! Come on, Apollo, let's go find her!"

#

"All right," Blackquill said, after they ate in silence for a while, "do you have any idea what was going through her mind when she set this up?"

Juniper flinched, but he was only saying exactly what she was thinking. At least he didn't seem angry about it. "I have no idea," she said.

"Never mind. I know."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Juniper frowned at him.

"Nothing was going through her mind." He smacked the table and laughed. "I would hazard a guess she was completely brain-dead at the time."

Even under the circumstances, that was mean. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but coughed and fiddled with the edges of her shawl. No way would she tell the Twisted Samurai he was being a jerk. His gaze burned into her, as if he was waiting for a reaction. Instead, she tried to eat, even though it was hard with him staring like that.

After a moment, he shook his head. "On the other hand, Wright-dono's daughter is a little strange. Perhaps this is her idea of a joke."

"Wait, what?" She set down her fork. "Trucy was involved with this? But it was Thena—Athena," she corrected herself, embarrassed at the thought of using her nickname in conversation with him, "who gave me my ticket."

"Cykes-dono was in on it, too?"

Maybe there were things neither of them knew about Athena, such as her secretly having a horrific sense of humor. No, that wasn't fair. He wasn't that bad.

"Well," Juniper said, "what do we have in common?"

He smirked. "Let's get the obvious out of the way first. We might be the only two people in the city who passed up a chance to see that absurd comedy on its opening night."

"And we both like this restaurant."

The look he gave her was more appraising than anything else. "We also both arrived significantly early."

"And we're both in the legal profession!"

"Hmph. That's right, you plan to be a judge." He narrowed his eyes. "It should be interesting to see how you preside over a trial."

She drew herself up. "I won't let you intimidate me in court."

"Is that a challenge?" He leaned across the table toward her. "Challenge accepted, Woods-dono. I will come to our first trial with a sharpened blade."

"At least you can't call me Your Baldness," she said, although a slight cough disturbed the calm façade she intended to present.

"No, I'll have to come up with a different name for you."

She narrowed her eyes. "What will it be? Something about my cough, right? Your Coughiness? Your Sickness?"

His mouth twitched, and he slapped his hand against the table as he laughed.

Her earlier judgment of his laugh as "evil" was too harsh. There _was_ a wicked glint in his eyes, no doubt from the thought of ruthlessly cutting down a rookie judge, but she found herself wanting to laugh with him in spite of it.

She leaned forward, just as he had done a moment ago. "I'll bring my own blade to court, then."

"You wouldn't dare face me in combat."

Before she'd registered the absurdity of her thoughts, she picked up the knife from beside her plate. "Wouldn't I?"

"Hmph. You look like a child playing at war."

So that was how it was going to be. "We all have to start somewhere." A wild idea entered her mind. One didn't spend years as Hugh's best friend without learning to handle a few insults and respond in kind. "Or…" She held out her knife like a sword. "Are you afraid to face me? Maybe you're—" A cough cut her off, and she got a hold of her crazy thoughts. He was _not_ Hugh, he was the Twisted Samurai, and calling him a coward would be hazardous to her health.

She glanced at his silverware, and another cough escaped her as she imagined the chaos that would ensue if he decided to take her up on her challenge. The thought of Simon Blackquill joining her in a silverware battle was at once hilarious and terrifying.

He followed her gaze. "Not a _chance_, Woods-dono." He leaned even closer. "But we _will_ duel someday."

His face was about an inch from hers, and her breath hitched. A confusing rush of emotions bombarded her, from nervousness to excitement, and she pulled back. Despite the conversation, he didn't look angry at all. Her heart pounded in her ears and she tried to ignore her quiet hope that he was serious about that duel.

That was a crazy thing to hope for. No sane person would want Blackquill coming after them with a sword. She shivered. Somehow, though, he made her think it would be all right.

Maybe Thena's friendship with him wasn't so inexplicable after all.

"Perhaps we won't have to engage in battle very often," he said. "But if our swords meet, do not back down from me, and never try to conceal the truth."

"It's a deal."

Was—was there a hint of a smile, a genuine smile, on his face? No, it was impossible. Blackquill was many more things than she expected, but he was not a smiley person.

Even so, she couldn't keep her own smile from growing. "That's another thing we have in common, isn't it? We both believe in the truth."

"Yes, we would be having quite a different conversation if you were one of Aristotle Means's pets."

A shudder ran through her, and she shrunk in upon herself. That terrible trial. She didn't want to think about it or Means ever again. Blackquill probably wouldn't understand, so she turned away from him. The view over the restaurant wall calmed her. It was a beautiful evening. The trial was in the past. She was safe, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

Red hair caught her eye, and she frowned. "Is that Thena?"

Blackquill followed her gaze. "It is. And it appears that Justice-dono is chasing her."

Her heart skipped a beat at his name, and again when she saw him. Apollo looked exhausted, but he ran down the street after Thena.

"Maybe they're on a date." Her face heated up. Nothing in the scene outside suggested they were on a date. It was a stupid guess, and she wasn't sure where it had come from. Pain ran through her heart at the thought of Apollo being attracted to Thena, but she also felt inexplicably relieved.

"Objection!" Blackquill slammed the table. "If their date involves him chasing her across the city, I may yet have to cut him down!"

"Apollo wouldn't hurt her," she said, horrified. She hesitated. "I mean, if he did, I would help you, of course."

He snickered. "Justice-dono would get quite a fright if the two of us burst out of here with drawn swords." He smirked. "Or silverware, in your case."

Across the street, Thena stopped and looked around. Apollo caught up to her and huffed for breath. They both scanned the surrounding area.

Juniper ducked and motioned for Blackquill to lower his head as well. "We don't want them to think we're spying! Besides, look at them. They're fine. I don't think we need to attack just yet."

"Hmph." He leaned so he was out of sight. "True. It appears the only real danger is that of Justice-dono suffering cardiac arrest."

"Especially if he sees you glaring at him."

After a few minutes, Thena took off down the sidewalk again. Apollo slumped and then followed at a slower pace.

Juniper giggled and came out of hiding. "What in the world are they doing?"

"Playing some sort of nonsensical game, from the looks of it." Blackquill straightened in his seat. "They can do what they wish, as long as he does not harm Cykes-dono."

She smiled. "There's another similarity between us. We're protective of our friends."

"You are correct." His voice was quiet. "In fact, we both confessed to a murder we didn't commit, to protect someone else."

Her breath caught and she stared at him, shocked. "But I thought you thought I was a fool for my confession!"

He gave her a level look. "Whatever I said or thought at the time doesn't change the fact that I did the exact same thing seven years ago."

"I don't think I could do what you did," she whispered. "I confessed to protect them… I would have taken the conviction to protect them… but I don't think I could have kept it up for seven years, especially if I was to be—" Her throat closed on the last word, and she looked away.

"Executed?" he finished. "Hmph. Well, we both seem to be alive, Woods-dono, so let's not dwell on it."

For the first time, a note of discomfort weaved through his words. A shocking idea occurred to her, and she put her hand over her mouth. Was it possible that Simon Blackquill, calm and unshakable though he seemed, had been scared those last few days before his execution date? Impossible—and yet, she couldn't shake the thought.

He never fought his conviction. She blinked away sudden tears. If he'd been afraid, then what he did for Thena was even nobler.

"Juniper?"

She jumped. Her first name sounded strange in his deep voice. "I-I'm all right." She offered him a weak smile. "Was that another similarity between us, Simon? 'We're both alive'? If it's come to that, maybe we should give up."

"I thought perhaps I offended you by comparing our actions."

That smirk of his was starting to thrills through her. He had better stop it, because she was far too well-grounded to fall for someone over something so silly.

Fall for him? Fall for _Blackquill_?

Impossible.

"Why would that offend me?" she asked.

"I'm not the best person to be compared to," he said. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to make your courtroom debut with the nickname 'The Twisted Flower Girl.'"

"F-flower Girl?"

He smirked—Juniper's heartbeat raced—and shrugged. "You don't like that one? Perhaps my blade has become dull. Allow me to sharpen it and try again."

She yanked down the brim of her hat to hide her deep blush. He was _teasing_ her.

"My apologies, Juniper. I'm…not very good at this sort of thing."

When no snarky conclusion, arrogant disclaimer, or subtle insult followed his apology, she met his gaze in shock. He was sincere.

"I'd, uh, accept your apology if I knew what you were apologizing for," she said with a laugh.

His expression remained serious. "You became trapped on this date with me, and I freely admit I'm not the most pleasant of company." He glanced away. "Prison changes a man. At times like this, I wish I could still be the Simon Blackquill of seven years ago."

"But I like you this way!" she blurted. Mortified, she covered her mouth. "I mean…" She blushed until she thought she was on fire, but she managed to compose herself. "No, I meant what I said." Impulsively, she reached out and touched his hand. Somehow, she'd imagined his skin would be cold. It wasn't at all. His warmth radiated up through her fingers. "I'm having a good time."

Her sincerity startled even herself. She _was_ having a good time. A good date. With Simon Blackquill. She laughed, and tried to stop in case he thought she was laughing at him, but then she let herself laugh anyway, because he was Simon Blackquill, and he was crazy, and he didn't seem nearly as scary as he did before.

And on his lips, there was definitely the hint of a smile.


	4. The End of the Evening

Chapter 4: The End of the Evening

"All right," Apollo said, as he scooted through the seats to reach Athena, "something weird is definitely going on."

"What do you mean?" she asked. Her eyes widened when he took the seat beside her. "Why are you sitting there? Isn't that for my date?"

Who obviously was never going to show up, any more than his was. After he'd chased Athena around the city for twenty minutes and tried without success to find out who they were looking for, they agreed their best option was to check inside the theater.

And it just got stranger from there.

"Apparently this is my seat now," he said.

"What?!"

"Athena…" He pinched the bridge of his nose. It sounded so ridiculous, but he had to ask. "Did you set me up on a date with Maggey Byrde?"

"What? No!"

"Then I have absolutely no idea what happened." He leaned back in his new seat. "When I went over to the seat listed on my ticket, Maggey was sitting there. She said she was sorry she took my seat, but that I could have hers. The seat number she gave me is this one."

Athena looked as flabbergasted as he felt.

He hesitated. It was an even sillier possibility, but… "Uh, Athena, I think you know me well enough that I shouldn't even have to ask this, but my date isn't Dick Gumshoe, right?"

"_What?!_"

"Just checking." He folded his arms. "All right, let's go over the facts. You set me up on a date with someone. Trucy set you up on a date with someone. Neither of our dates came. Is there any chance that my date and Trucy conspired to hook _us_ up?"

"No."

Talk about a fast answer. She didn't even need a moment to think.

"Not a chance," Widget chimed in.

Geez. The thought of him and Athena on a date wasn't that ridiculous.

Athena sighed. "If you must know, you were supposed to be here with Junie."

"Juniper Woods?"

"Yes. She likes you so much, Apollo. I can't imagine why she isn't here."

Athena looked so sad, he reached over and put his arm around her. "Cheer up, Athena. I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just hates romantic comedies and didn't want to tell you."

"Maybe."

It was a nice explanation, but it didn't explain everything. How the heck did Gumshoe and Maggey come into the picture? And Athena's date was still unaccounted for. None of it added up.

Unless—

"Wait a minute," he said. "Were you supposed to meet your date outside the theater?"

"Yes, at 4:30." She twisted in her seat to look right at him. "Why? Have you figured something out?"

"Maybe. It's a long shot." He shook his head. "Did you tell Juniper who to meet?"

"No, but—" She put her hands over her mouth. "You don't think—"

"If Trucy didn't tell your date he was meeting you, and if the two of them both got here before us…"

"Oh no." She laughed. "That makes so much sense. Talk about a matchmaking mishap!"

"On the other hand," he said, "maybe they both realized there was a mistake and gave their tickets away to Maggey and Gumshoe. Either way, I'm sure Juniper's fine."

"Thank you Apollo." She leaned over the armrests to give him a hug. "I feel a lot better now."

"No problem. I'm sorry your matchmaking didn't work out for you, though."

She pumped her fist in the air. "Look at the bright side!"

"What's that?"

"We still get to see _The Only Girl for Me._"

#

Simon's smirk deepened the more she squirmed, which wasn't exactly comforting, but wasn't wholly unpleasant, either. He could smirk at her all day if he wanted.

All right, she'd stalled enough. She could do it. She was a judge trainee, not some little girl. Besides, it would make him happy if she got along with his best friend.

Juniper inched her hand toward his shoulder and withdrew with a yelp when Taka fluttered his wings and screeched.

"Did I mention that he can sense fear?" Simon asked. "It makes him…jumpy."

She jabbed her finger at him. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"You keep saying things just to make me more nervous. Stop it."

"Very well."

Juniper edged her hand toward the hawk again. She was less than a foot away when Simon's silent stare intensified enough to make her skin prickle.

"Stop it."

"I didn't say a word."

"It's the _way_ you're not saying words."

"All right," he said, with another delightful smirk, "that's it. Let us turn to a new strategy. Close your eyes."

"What?"

"We'll never get anywhere if we do this your way, so we're going to do it my way. Whenever you get near Taka, you talk yourself out of it, so we can't have you knowing how near you are. Close your eyes."

Juniper stared at him for a moment and then closed her eyes. Of all the stupid things she ever did, telling him she wanted to meet Taka was one of the worst. She liked birds, but not when they looked at her like she was prey.

Warm fingers closed around her wrist, and her eyes snapped open.

"I intended for you to keep them closed for a little longer." Although Simon's tone was light, an unspoken question lingered in his eyes. His grip on her arm loosened as he waited.

Her heart fluttered. Despite all his amusement, he really cared about her comfort. "Okay. I'm fine." She closed her eyes and tried not to imagine what a hawk attack felt like.

He didn't let go of her wrist, but his footsteps carried him around her, and a second later, his other hand clapped over her eyes. An electric current raced through her. Her breath quickened. If she leaned back just a tiny bit, her head would rest against his chest. Her legs wobbled and she stiffened them, because he might think she was afraid, and then he would let go.

Even a hawk attack was worth it for this.

She could only imagine what someone would think if they drove past the courthouse and saw the two of them. Flirty Simon had to look creepy as heck to a stranger.

Flirting.

Her heart rate went into overdrive. She had to get a grip on herself. No matter what _she_ felt, he wasn't flirting. He'd covered her eyes to keep her from looking, nothing more. She had to remember that.

Juniper tried not to fidget as he lifted her arm and let out a sharp whistle. She tensed and held her breath. After a moment, Taka's talons pricked through her sleeve into her skin.

"Now, now, don't worry," Simon said, in such a soothing tone he had to be addressing Taka, but she exhaled anyway.

He released her, but stayed close. She peeked at the fierce hawk on her arm. "Hello Taka. Please don't kill me."

"Hmph. Perhaps we should start on a list of things I have in common with Taka."

She smiled up at him. "People regularly greet you with, 'Please don't kill me'?"

"Not out loud."

Indignation that people would fear Simon so much warred with her irrational glee that if people were so scared of him, she could have him all to herself. She coughed and focused on Taka. If Simon noticed how red her cheeks were, maybe he would mistake it for nervousness.

"Taka seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

She beamed. Every word he spoke made her happier.

"Perhaps he'll let you touch him."

Almost every word, at least.

"Wait, what?" She had no intention of putting her fingers any closer to that vicious beak than they already were. From way Taka regarded her, he couldn't wait for her to tempt him with such a tasty morsel.

Simon's smirk grew into a wicked grin. "Are you going to back down so soon, Woods-dono?"

"No!"

"Just scratch the side of his head, like this."

Juniper watched him. Taka tilted his head back in enjoyment, and then Simon stopped. The expectation in his eyes was so great, she reached out without another protest. She scratched the side of Taka's head, just a little, just enough to say she did it.

Predatory curiosity glinted in Taka's eyes, and she snatched her fingers out of harm's way. "Okay, that's enough."

"Very well." Simon whistled. The hawk flew off of her arm and onto his shoulder, and he resumed where she'd left off.

As he played with Taka, Juniper blushed for no good reason at all. He seemed so sweet all of a sudden, so…gentle. It was somewhat unnerving to see such things in him, as if it was a secret side of him and she should leave to respect his privacy.

And absolutely, positively _not_ think about what it would be like to have him look at her with such tenderness in his eyes.

Juniper adjusted her hat and rubbed her forehead. There was only one explanation for it—she was going crazy. That afternoon, she'd been her normal self, with eyes only for Apollo Justice. All she did was sit down outside a theater, and everything changed. It was obvious what happened. Insanity was contagious, and a few hours with the Twisted Samurai made her as crazy as he was. In the morning, she would be back to normal.

Her heart sunk. Was that what she wanted? To wake up and think of him only as that scary prosecutor, and marvel at the inexplicable trust and fondness Thena felt for him?

She pressed her hands against her cheeks. A fever!

It had to be one of the two, a fever or insanity, because even if it was something deeper, he couldn't possibly feel the same about her. He'd remember it as an odd little evening, an amusement.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away as fast as she could.

"Well, Juniper, I don't know where you live, but it would be my honor to escort you home if—is something the matter?"

"No!" She wiped her eyes again and shook her head. "I'm fine! I was just, uh, thinking about—" Her mind went blank. Time to change the subject. "My house is sort of far from here, but we could walk unless you're tired."

"I never shy away from a long walk."

"Well, start out going straight down this road until we leave the city."

As he fell into step beside her, he said, "What were you thinking about? Let me help you. I do not want to see you unhappy."

Of course, he had to choose then to be kind.

"Well…" His concern obscured her thoughts behind a buzz of happiness. "I was thinking about…" Something that would make sense, something that would make her cry. "Seven years ago! Do you remember me from back then?"

He frowned. "Should I?"

"I was Thena's best friend back then. I visited her at the Space Center a lot." She hesitated. "I saw you from time to time."

"Now that you say it, I think perhaps I remember you." He smirked. "You must have been shocked when you saw me again."

_Yes,_ was the truthful answer,_ I thought you really did kill Thena's mom, so I was terrified out of my mind when you walked in to question me. _

"Yes," she said. "Shocked." She cleared her throat. Best to change the subject again in case his knowledge of psychology helped him pick up on the bits she left out. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Simon."

"You're welcome." He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "Thank you, for making it so nice."

A deep blush heated her cheeks. He enjoyed the date, too. He really did. Maybe he felt something like what she felt. Her breath quickened, and she coughed a few times. Dates. There had to be some expectations. She didn't have much experience with dates. In school, she was always too frail for the boys to be attracted to her, and too shy to ask any of them out.

Some people talked about first dates and first kisses like they went together.

No way. He wouldn't. Simon was too standoffish for that sort of thing. It wouldn't even occur to him. Not that she wanted it to.

Of course she didn't.

Not at all.

Even though his lips looked so good when they twisted into a smirk. Better when he smiled.

No, the smirk was better.

Of all the things she could think about, Simon's lips were not a good choice. It made it hard to breathe.

Focus, she had to focus. She didn't want him to kiss her. He was the Twisted Samurai—although he showed such kindness. He was a former convict—because he sacrificed himself for her best friend. He was intimidating—yet devilishly funny. She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. He would kiss more like how Taka caught mice than how a gentleman kissed a girl. He would smirk with a fierce gleam in his eyes, swoop down upon her, and—

His hand moved to rest just between her shoulder blades, and she jumped.

He pulled away. "My apologies."

Standoffish was the wrong word for him. Stiff was a better one. And unreadable. Nothing in his voice suggested he was hurt by her reaction. Her back tingled where his fingers had been.

"You just startled me," she said, "that's all."

"It's of no importance."

No importance. Touching her was of no importance to him. There was too much gentleman in him after all, or maybe arrogance. Or indifference. He didn't feel anything for her.

Then a different thought lanced through her heart. He was Simon Blackquill, the Twisted Samurai. People thought he was a crazy murderer for years, and a lot still did. Even she'd been afraid of him at the start of the evening. Maybe he was just so used to people recoiling from him, it no longer fazed him.

Her feelings halted, trapped at the back of her throat. There was nothing she could say. _But I actually do want you to touch me_ would be awkward at best. _I'm not afraid of you_ would mean admitting a lot of people were—and even if he accepted that fact, she couldn't bring herself to mention it.

For a brief moment, she imagined herself edging closer. He'd stopped, for some reason. It would be easy to close the gap between them. Nestle her head against his shoulder. He would be warm and solid and he would slip his arms around her and pull her close.

Or he wouldn't.

She coughed. Stupid doubts.

"Something is troubling you, Juniper."

"What? No it isn't!"

Simon gave her a flat look. "Are you lost, then?"

"Huh?" Reality crashed in upon her. He was walking her home. He didn't know the way. She looked around. "Right. Okay." For one wild moment, she imagined what would happen if she gave him the wrong directions and got them lost. Lost all night long with Simon Blackquill. Chills of excitement ran down her spine.

"Juniper!"

"What?" Oh no. She stared at him in utter horror and coughed. "Did I"—she coughed again—"say some of that out loud?!"

"Some of what?"

Darn him and his unreadable face. There was no way to tell if he was serious or not.

He looked away. "I feel as though I've hurt you, but I don't know how."

"No, it's nothing like that."

When he met her gaze again, there was no doubt—he was dead serious. "If you are uncomfortable with me walking you home, we can part ways."

"No!" Crazy devil, he still thought she was afraid of him. The desire to wrap her arms around him became a physical ache. She was going to explode. "It's just…" Her mouth was so dry, she had to swallow several times before she could speak. "I wish I could tell what you were thinking, because then I would know if it's what I'm thinking, because I'm afraid we're thinking two different things about tonight."

She winced. If she ever heard jabbering, that was it.

But he didn't say a word about it. He just looked away again and finally said stiffly, "It is of no concern to you what I am thinking."

Her heart shattered and she clenched her teeth in a vain effort to hide her feelings.

"I know what they say about me," he said. "Tonight, I thought you—never mind. It isn't important. I will never harm you, Juniper. Not now, not ever."

She stared at him. "What are you _talking_ about?!" Her barriers collapsed. It was time for complete honesty. "Simon, all I'm asking is if you would, well, want to see me again."

Partial honesty was close enough. He didn't need to know about the snuggling and kissing daydreams. That could wait until a few dates later. Like the fourth. Or the third.

Or the second.

Simon cleared his throat. "…Oh."

He seemed embarrassed, a little sheepish, even.

"I must seem like a self-centered nitwit right now," he said.

Juniper laughed. "You're self-centered because you thought I _didn't_ want to see you again?" She reached out, hesitated, and then completed the motion to let her hand rest on his arm. "I guess even a master swordsman stabs himself in the foot from time to time, hmm?"

"Indeed." He gave her a sidelong glance. "I take a lunch break each day at noon. I would be honored if you would join me."

With great difficulty, she suppressed the urge to squeal and throw her arms around him. She even managed to keep her voice steady. "I'll see if I can make it sometime."

His smile was full and genuine. "I'll be waiting."

The world spun out of control around her, but amidst the chaos, one thing was clear.

"Sometime" was a rough synonym for "tomorrow."


	5. A New Day

Chapter 5: A New Day

Juniper's dreams were a confusing mishmash of courtroom battles and samurai sword duels, punctuated by the occasional smirk from her black-clad opponent. When she woke up, she smiled at the ceiling in a happy stupor, unable to think of anything except Simon Blackquill. What a bizarre turn of events. If she'd even had an inkling of who her date was with, she would have turned down the ticket and stayed home. She never imagined he could be so kind and funny and _wonderful_. She never guessed she would make plans to meet him for lunch.

Lunch!

She sprang out of bed and grabbed the clock. It was only 7:00, thank goodness. Plenty of time.

Once she was dressed and ready for the day, she picked up the long brown feather from her dresser. A gift to remember their evening. It was nice—not as nice as a kiss, which was what she thought he was going to give her when he stopped just outside her door, but from him, maybe it meant more.

She twirled it between her fingers. If she had it with her when they met, maybe he would smile again. She stuck it in the corner of her mouth and looked in the mirror.

Not everyone could pull off Simon's style. She shook her head at her ridiculous reflection and fastened the feather between the sunflowers on her hat, instead. It still looked a little silly, but it would give him something to make a few snarky comments about. Then he could help her figure out a better way to wear it.

The last thing she collected was her new Bum Rap Rhiny toy and her medicine, in case she suffered another coughing fit while at the Prosecutor's Building.

Before she left, though, she checked her phone. She'd missed several calls the day before—all from Athena. Very strange. Even if Thena expected her to go home right after _The Only Girl for Me,_ it didn't explain her call right before the show. Juniper picked up the phone and started to dial, but then she hung up.

She could thank Thena in person.

#

Athena met Apollo on the way to work in the morning.

"Any word from Juniper?" he asked.

"None yet," she said. "I'm so sorry your date didn't work out."

He laughed. "Why are you apologizing to _me_? I had fun."

She smiled. "It was a great show, wasn't it?"

She imitated the snarky antagonist from _The Only Girl for Me _as best she could, with some added help by being able to adopt the feigned emotions the actress used in the play. Apollo laughed and followed up with his own impersonation of the hotel manager who had to deal with her. Although his laughter marred it, his impression was great, complete with a Chords of Steel shout of, "Deplorable!" as he threw open the door of the Wright Anything Agency.

Phoenix regarded the two of them from his desk. "What's deplorable?"

"Nothing," Athena said. "It's just a line from the play. It was just as funny as everyone says!"

"Glad to hear it."

Trucy entered the room with a thick folder. "Daddy, I got the paperwork you—Athena!" She bounced on her heels. "How was your date? Did you have a good time? Tell me everything!"

Athena exchanged glances with Apollo.

"Well," he said, "she sort of ended up on a date with me."

Trucy's eyes widened, and the voice of her heart confirmed the hurt and confusion in her voice. "What? But…but your dates…"

"It's all right," Athena said. "There was just a misunderstanding."

"Yeah, the whole 'blind date' thing didn't quite work." Despite his words, his voice glowed with happiness. Either he really liked the play, or…

Heat crept into Athena's cheeks. Maybe he really enjoyed being with her. She cleared her throat. The last thing they needed was an audience for a conversation like that.

"So anyway," she said, "thanks for trying, but Junie never showed up to meet Apollo, and my date never arrived, either. Our best guess is that they arrived early and left together by mistake."

The folder crashed to the floor and spilled papers everywhere. Trucy clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh no, poor Junie!"

Wait, _what_? Athena put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean, 'poor Junie'? She ended up with my date, remember?"

"Yes, but poor Junie's so…fragile." Multiple emotions threated through her statement—strong amusement, a great deal of guilt, and just a hint of fear.

Phoenix folded his arms. "All right, Trucy, out with it. What did you do?"

The young magician fidgeted. "Well, see, it was supposed to be Athena, and that would have been all right, but oh, poor Junie!"

"Who—"

Before Athena could finish, the door to the Agency opened, and Junie peeked in. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, come on in!"

Junie entered the room with a Bum Rap Rhiny toy clutched to her chest. She smiled, although when she saw Apollo, she quickly looked away. Apollo cleared his throat, looked from side to side, and crouched to clean up the scattered papers. Trucy still looked horrified.

"Thena, I'm sorry I didn't return your calls last night."

"No, it's all right. Listen, Junie, I'm so sorry about your date. It was just—"

Her friend's laughter cut her off. "Don't apologize, Thena. I'll never doubt you again. I thought you were _crazy_ at first, but I had such a wonderful time."

"You did?" She racked her brain for something to say. She couldn't very well ask who her date was, since Junie didn't realize there was a misunderstanding. And her happiness was so strong it made Athena dizzy. To let her know her wonderful evening was a mistake would be cruel beyond belief.

Worst of all, Junie knew her well enough to realize something was wrong. On the other hand, the glow in her cheeks, the light in her eyes, and her repeated uncharacteristic giggles suggested she was so far gone, she wouldn't notice at all.

"Oh yes. I hope you don't mind we didn't go to _The Only Girl for Me. _Neither of us really wanted to—I mean, it sounded like a funny show, but the theater was so crowded and there were all these horrible people gossiping about us and I was just going to force myself to endure it, but you know how he is, he was all, 'Grrr, let us do something else,' which was kind of scary but it made me feel better at the same time, and then he gave our tickets to this couple who really wanted to go and when I saw how happy they were, I just _knew_—" She stopped. "Is Mr. Wright's daughter okay?"

Trucy looked about ready to collapse. Her eyes bugged out of her head, and although her mouth moved, nothing came out. "Poor Junie's" reaction seemed to be too much for her.

"She's fine," Phoenix said, whose heart contained more curiosity about the date than he let on. "She's just embarrassed because I'm here for a conversation about dates."

Junie giggled. "Oh, Trucy, I should be thanking you, too, since you were involved."

The girl gave a slow nod. "You're welcome. You…actually had a good time?"

"Yes!" She blushed. "I'm going to meet him for lunch today, actually."

If Trucy's eyes bulged any further, they would fall out. "You have a second date with him? You like him that much?"

"Yes, I-I've never felt this way before. I felt so connected to him." Her face was bright pink. "I'm not sure what it is. He's so hard to read, but at the same time, something about him is so—" She glanced at Athena. "Well, you know."

"I don't quite know in the same way," Athena said. Maybe Junie would take the cue to compare their relationships to the mystery person.

But of course, she didn't.

"I just feel like I could spend every minute of every day with him and not get bored. I don't know if he feels the same way about me, but he wants to see me again, so maybe?"

"I'm sure he does," Athena said with a smile.

"Thanks, Thena. If anyone would know, you would."

Apollo finally got all of the papers stacked and back in the folder, and he stood up with it. "All right," he said, with just a touch of the Chords of Steel, "I feel left out of this conversation. Who'd they set you up with, Juniper?"

Athena struggled to keep her curiosity from her face.

A trace of uncertainty fluttered through Junie's voice as she regarded Apollo. "Oh, you want to know?"

"Sure," he said. "I'm your friend, aren't I?"

That seemed to hearten her, and she smiled. "Yes, of course. Well, you won't believe this, but it was—"

"Pal!" The door of the agency flew open and Detective Gumshoe burst in. "You gotta help me!"

"Calm down." Phoenix reached out a hand to steady the detective. "What's wrong?"

"It's Maggey! She's been arrested for murder!"

"_Again_?"

"I know, pal, it's terrible." He slumped. "There was a murder at the theater last night, after _The Only Girl for Me._ Maggey was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it looks bad for her, pal, but I know she's innocent!" He clenched his fists. "And they're making a big deal out of the fact that neither of us are on record for buying tickets, too."

Junie's eyes were wide. "That's not fair."

"Huh? Oh, it's you!" He brightened. "Will you testify for us, pal?"

"Of course."

"And we'll defend Maggey," Phoenix said. "Do you have any idea of who the prosecutor will be?"

"I don't know." Gumshoe's body shook with laughter. "I never thought I'd say _this_, pal, but I sure hope it's Prosecutor Blackquill! He gave us the tickets, after all!"

Papers flew everywhere again as Apollo dropped the folder.

Trucy smacked herself in the forehead in an exaggerated gesture of surprise. "Look at the time! I gotta go to school! Bye everyone! Bye Daddy!" She kissed Phoenix on the cheek, grabbed her stuff, and fled the office.

Athena dropped to help Apollo collect the papers again, and to hide her shock. Trucy set her up on a date with Simon? The girl's reactions to the mix-up made sense—as much as it hurt, most people still saw Simon Blackquill the Twisted Samurai, the very scary convict prosecutor, rather than the good man he was inside.

Maybe the misunderstanding was a miracle. He was a wonderful friend, but the absolute worst outcome would have been if he harbored romantic feelings for her that she didn't return.

Apollo stood up with the papers and stared at Junie. It was his turn to move his mouth without actually saying anything.

His and Trucy's bewilderment wasn't completely unfounded. As much as Athena cared for Simon and hated when people put him down, she could not picture him with quiet Juniper Woods.

"Thanks so much," Gumshoe said. "I'll go tell Maggey the good news!" He dashed out of the office.

Apollo finally found his voice. "You went on a date with _Prosecutor Blackquill_?"

Junie turned scarlet.

His jaw dropped. "Wait, did you say you're going on a _second_ date with him?"

"Y-yes." She coughed and gripped her stuffed animal as if it gave her strength. "He's really nice once you get to know him!"

"Are we talking about the same Prosecutor Blackquill?"

Athena kicked his ankle. "Don't mind him, Junie. I'm really happy it went so well for you. A lot of people can't see past Simon's darkness. I'm glad you have."

"Thanks, Thena."

"Say hi for me, okay?"

"Of course."

#

A few hours later, Juniper hurried toward the Prosecutor's Building. She was early, but her stomach was churning enough as it was. Once she got there, maybe she would calm down.

The prospect of seeing Simon again made her dizzy. It couldn't come fast enough—but at the same time, it was too close. As she hurried down the street, a thousand worst case scenarios flashed through her mind. He could be annoyed she wanted to see him again so soon. He could have other plans. Maybe he thought things over and didn't care for her after all. Maybe—

"JUNIPER!"

She jumped.

The shout was Robin's, and she and Hugh raced across the street.

Juniper stopped and waited for her friends. "Hello."

"Is that all you're going to say?" Robin asked. "Tell us how it went, maaan!"

"Tell you… how _what_ went?"

Robin giggled. "You know. Your D-A-T-E."

Juniper clapped one hand over her mouth and held onto Rhiny with the other. "W-what? How do you know about that?"

Hugh adjusted his glasses. "Heh. We have our ways."

"Yeah, don't try to keep secrets from us!"

The bushes a few feet away rustled, and a cardboard box popped out. "Sss, sss, sss. Are you two going to play games with her all day, or are you actually going to give me credit?"

Of course. Myriam. Heat rushed to Juniper's face. There could have been a cardboard box at the restaurant, or at the courthouse—she certainly had been too distracted by Simon to check for spies.

"So," Robin said, "are you going to tell us, or not?"

"I'm surprised Myriam hasn't already told you."

Myriam folded her arms. "Sss, sss, sss… I need to do a little more investigating before I have enough details for this story." She pulled out her notepad and poised her pencil over it. "So, Athena Cykes set you up on a blind date. Who was it?"

"W-wait, you don't even know _that_?"

"You're going to tell us, right?" Robin asked.

"No, I'm not." She could just see the headlines. Simon would be furious. "I don't have time. I'm on my way to meet him, actually, so…" She tried to continue down the sidewalk, but all three of them chased after her.

"A second date?" Hugh asked.

"Come on, now you have to tell us," Robin said. "At least give us an H-I-N-T."

She fiddled with the edges of her shawl. Well, a hint couldn't hurt. At least it would make them give up and let her continue on her way. Too vague of a hint would probably just make them bug her more, but too specific a hint would give it away. She hesitated. "Fine. It's someone we all met for the first time a few months ago. Think about that for a while, and when I get back, we can—"

"I know who it is!" Robin looked like she was going to explode. "IT'S APOLLO JUSTICE, MAAAAN!"

Juniper blushed and looked away. Everyone knew about her crush on Apollo. It was amazing Thena didn't try to set them up, since everyone expected it. Even he knew, if his reaction to her appearance at the Agency was anything to go by. He didn't seem hurt, though. Maybe it was for the best.

Her voice was very quiet. "No, not Apollo."

Robin's eyes were huge. "Not Apollo? But, but then who is it?"

"You already got your hint." Once again, she tried to move on.

"Heh."

She shook her head and stopped.

"You just didn't think things through, Robin." Hugh adjusted his glasses again, even though they didn't need to be adjusted. "With my genius intellect, I figured it out right away."

This ought to be good.

"Juniper's mysterious date is Prosecutor—"

Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe there was more to Hugh's "genius" act after all.

"—Gavin."

On the other hand, maybe not.

She laughed, unable to help herself. "Prosecutor Gavin?"

"Of course." If he noticed her laughter, he didn't recognize its significance. He looked as smug as if he was showing off a 110% on a test. "We met him a few months ago, around the same time we met Apollo Justice. You even performed with him on stage and got along with him quite well. And"—he fixed her with a triumphant grin—"when we saw you just now, on your way to your second date, you were making a beeline for the Prosecutor's Building."

"Not bad," she said, "but no, it's not Gavin."

_Crash!_

Myriam's laptop smashed to the ground, and the girl bent to retrieve it.

"What's wrong?" Juniper asked.

"No way_._" She straightened and gripped the edges of her box so tight, her knuckles turned white. "No _way_. I've got it. This is going to be the story of the century! Sss, sss, sss, I have a great headline in the works…" She folded her arms, and desperation entered her voice. "But—but if I publish it…he'll burn my box again!"

The world spun around her. Of all people, the crazy reporter actually figured it out. Simon would be irate.

"Burn your box?" Robin asked. "Wait, you don't mean—"

"How did you figure it out?"

"An investigative reporter has to have an eye for details, you know. Hugh's reasoning actually made a lot of sense for once, for one thing."

He shifted from foot to foot, clearly irritated to be the only one still in the dark.

"But more importantly"—Myriam jumped up and snatched the feather from Juniper's hat—"there aren't a lot of people who consider hawk feathers a fashion statement."

"Hey, give it back!" She plucked the feather out of the reporter's hands before it could disappear inside the box forever. "It's mine, it was a gift."

"Exactly."

"You're dating PROSECUTOR BLACKQUILL?!"

"Shh!" If the courthouse was ever unfortunate enough to see a battle between Defense Attorney Justice and Prosecutor Newman, the judge would probably go deaf.

For once, Hugh seemed to be at a complete loss for words. Myriam, meanwhile, took notes at a frantic pace, as if the potential loss of her box was nothing in comparison to such a story.

"You know what?" Robin giggled and twirled around. "I bet the two of you together are just too C-U-T-E."

That was it. Time to get out of there before it got any worse.

#

With the feather back in place on her hat, Juniper adjusted her shawl, straightened her skirt, and entered the Prosecutor's Building. As soon as the door closed behind her, she felt small and out of place. She didn't actually have a place to meet Simon, and the building was so much bigger than the Wright Anything Agency. He could be anywhere.

Well, he was guaranteed to be in his office at some point.

Heat rushed to her cheeks and her stomach squirmed. It was one thing to just walk in to see Athena. Things were relaxed there. Bopping into Simon's office was an entirely different matter. It would annoy him.

She remembered the warmth in his eyes when he said he'd be waiting for her. No, he wouldn't be annoyed. She took a deep breath and headed down the hall.

The building wasn't too terrifying. Parts of it were nice. In the lobby she walked through, there were even some potted plants. Comfortable waiting areas, nice décor, a more calming layout than she expected from the prosecutors—and at the other end of the hall, Gaspen Payne, who erased the calming effect entirely.

He was the last person she wanted to see. Juniper looked around for a place to escape, but it was too late.

"What are you doing here, little girl?"

His sneer and the obvious distaste in his voice made her skin crawl, but she straightened her back and looked him in the eye. After all, she was on her way to meet a prosecutor who could cut him to shreds. Payne couldn't do anything to her.

"I'm here to meet someone." She coughed. "P-Prosecutor Blackquill, in fact."

"You've committed another crime? Are those silly monkeys going to get you out of this one, too?"

"No!" She coughed again and hugged Bum Rap Rhiny to her chest. "I haven't—this isn't—we're friends."

He snickered. "Why would a prosecutor be friends with a little girl like you?"

For the first time, she considered how much older Simon was than her, but she shoved that thought aside. If it mattered, it was something to talk to him about—or to her family, or Thena, or _anyone_ but Payne. "I'm not a little girl."

"Oh, I beg your pardon." His gaze went to Rhiny. "I thought only _children_ played with toys like that."

"W-what?" She coughed. "He isn't just a toy… R-Rhiny holds my medicine."

He said something else before he walked away, but she didn't hear him. His previous words just repeated in her mind. Rhiny looked sadder than ever, but Payne was right. None of her friends still had stuffed animals, or if they did, they didn't let anyone know about it.

Simon definitely wasn't the stuffed animal type. He'd laugh, or worse, think of her as a little girl just like Payne did. That was the last thing she wanted. It would ruin everything.

It was almost noon. She couldn't take Rhiny home and still return in time. She opened the toy up and took out her medicine. Her grandma thought Rhiny was adorable, but maybe her mother was actually right, and it would be better to carry her medicine in a purse. For now, she would have to hold it.

Her desperate gaze landed on one of the potted plants.

She took a quick look around to make sure no one would see, dashed over to the plant, and shoved Rhiny behind it. His nose stuck out. She hesitated. It wasn't like she expected anyone would steal him—and if they did, maybe, just maybe, it would be for the best, because then she could forget the whole thing and never have to worry again about hiding him from Simon or anyone else and no one could say she was a child—

"Lost, Woods-dono?"

She spun around, arms outstretched to hide the plant as much as she could.

Simon still made an imposing figure, with his long black coat and wild hair hanging down his back, but it was hard to believe she'd once been afraid of him. Traces of affection lurked behind his stormy gaze and twisted smirk, and her heart thumped against her ribcage. He took a step toward her, and she forgot how to breathe.

Her efforts to block the plant did little against someone who was over a foot taller than her.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Attempting to discover what it is about this plant that fascinates you so."

"F-fascinates?" She coughed. "No, no, I was just—" She clasped her hands in front of her and tried to stop trembling. "Well, you see… Gaspen Payne—Prosecutor Payne, sorry… He was talking to me, and it shook me up a little, and I came over to the plant to try to calm down."

He snorted. "Payne. Most of us ignore him on general principle."

"I tried." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I guess he just couldn't resist the chance to be the Visitor Humiliator, or whatever he's calling himself now." Her smile faltered and fell apart.

Simon's expression darkened. "If he ever harasses you while I'm around, you better believe he'll gasp in pain."

Her next smile succeeded. "I don't think even he's that stupid." She edged away from the plant, and his gaze followed her, thank goodness. Time to get him away before he investigated further. "Come on, let's go… wherever it is you want to go!"

She hurried past him with a slight twinge at guilt for her abandonment of Rhiny, but some things were worth sacrifices. Simon was one of those things. Lunch with him would make everything all right.

"Woods-dono."

She stopped in her tracks. He wasn't beside her. "Yes?"

When he appeared by her side, he held out Bum Rap Rhiny. "It's my understanding that the last time you lost track of one of these, Justice-dono was assaulted. Let's try to avoid a second incident."

She took the stuffed animal back from him as gingerly as if it was red-hot. There had to be a way out. A good explanation. One that wouldn't embarrass her. "H-how did this get here?"

It sounded weak even to her.

Simon leaned toward her. "You know, I understand your strange behavior now. Anyone who managed to lose something behind a plant that small would hesitate to admit it. Perhaps you should have your vision checked."

Her ears burned and she lifted her medicine for him to see. "I brought it because it's the only thing I have to carry my medicine in. I was looking for a safe place to store it. I'll just leave it here while we have lunch."

She tried to keep her movements casual, as if Rhiny really was nothing more to her than a convenient way to carry her medicine, and tossed it to the side. As the toy arced toward the ground, she fought to hide her cringe. She didn't want to see it hit the ground like so much garbage.

It didn't. Instead, Simon's hand snatched it from the air.

He held it out to her again.

She stared at the floor.

"Come on, Juniper." His voice was soft and gentle, so unusual for him that it sent goosebumps down her arms. "You don't have to prove anything to me."

She accepted Rhiny and squeezed the toy tightly, even though it was really Simon she wanted to hug.

"Besides…" His tone was sly. "If you leave it here, you might very well forget it, and I would be duty-bound to return it to you. It would destroy my image to be seen carrying a Bum Rap Rhiny toy through the city."

Although she tried to keep her voice steady, a slight tremor entered it all the same. "W-won't it destroy your image if you're seen _with_ someone carrying him?"

Simon smirked, slid his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her to his side. "I'll risk it."

The End

* * *

_Author's note: Did it break your hearts as much to read that "The End" as it did for me to write it? This story was just a goofy idea when I started it, but somehow I've fallen in love with the BlackWoods pairing (as dubbed by one of my reviewers, thank you!) and I don't want it to ever go away. In fact, my mind is still filled with Simon/Junie fluff, but I don't have another plot for them yet. If I ever come up with one, you can bet I'll write more-it's all I can do not to just keep extending _this_ story with chapters and chapters of goofy, romantic fluff. ;)_

_Thank you all for being a wonderful audience and for giving this crazy pairing a chance. See you around!_


End file.
